Marius Fiskum, Norwegian Seafood Council
NORWAY
Skrei has its own quality label
The world’s finest cod
The areas around the Lofoten Islands and Vesterålen are the most important fishing grounds for skrei, which are fished during the winter and early spring.
Within just a few years skrei or winter cod has become an important addition to the range of seafood available because it combines seasonality with high product quality and its own special story. Prestigious service counters and restaurants upgrade their image with skrei boosting sales. Skrei is a seasonal Norwegian cod. It comes from the world‘s largest cod stocks in the Barents Sea in the north-eastern Arctic. When cod (Gadus morhua) reaches maturity at the age of about five years it migrates during the winter months to its place of birth on the Norwegian coasts to spawn there. That means skrei is a fish that has reached the best phase of its life. Skrei have made this journey to their place of birth to spawn every winter for thousands of years, phenomenon that is unique to Norway. In fact, the term “skrei”
is derived from the old Norwegian word “skrida” which means “migrate” or “migrant”.
Special quality label reflects very high standards The Norwegian seafood industry has developed a quality label for this special fish, Skrei®. Only top-quality skrei which has been caught, processed and packaged according to strictly stipulated conditions that are laid down in an official quality standard
is given the special quality rating and can bear the label Skrei®. It is thus easily distinguishable from other skrei and cod products. Skrei®-labelled fish must be a mature Norwegian cod which comes from the Barents Sea. They are only found in the winter season (1st January to 30th April) in the traditional spawning grounds along the Norwegian coast. To carry the label the product must be packaged and stored at a temperature between 0 and 4 degrees on ice within twelve hours of the catch. Whole fresh fish have to
be individually marked with the label on the foremost dorsal fin and packed in crates which are also marked with the label. Fresh fillets, portions, or steaks must bear this label on the exterior of their packaging. Companies operating in the Norwegian fisheries sector that want to sell their fish with the label must be registered in the quality labelling system of the Norwegian Seafood Council. Following registration they receive a quality standard which they then have to Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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